We had a
fairly major adventure traveling across the United States and making our
connection in Boston. There were a couple of major storms, and many
flights were canceled. Long story short, we eventually landed at Shannon
Airport and picked up our trusty Nissan Micra rental car.

Let the adventure begin!

Our first stop was a delightful bed and breakfast,
the Cill Eoin Guesthouse.
It was on the road to Ennis in County Clare, our next destination. The
"kids" stayed with Paudie and Nuala in Quin, which is also near Ennis.
Note the blue sky. The weather was wonderful!

The first thing we did when we got to town was to buy
a cheap cell phone. This allowed us to stay in touch with the young
folk, no matter where they (or we) were.

Modern technology is a great thing!

Wandering around Ennis. Here's Tom, embarking on his
quest for some kind of musical instrument.

We didn't expect much from the town of Ennis,
but we were pleasantly surprised. The town was founded by monks
who settled on an island in the River Fergus. Inis (Ennis) means
"island." The ruins of the
friary stand to this day and give their name to Abbey
Street. We had some time to traipse among the ruins before the
sun set.

That evening, the kids whipped up a gourmet dinner
for everyone, in appreciation for Paudie and Nuala being such charming
hosts.